The Effect of the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM) on the Care Burden of the Parents of Children Diagnosed with Cancer

BACKGROUND: Families face multiple problems after their children are diagnosed with cancer. This study aims to determine the effect of the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM) on the care burden of the parents of children, diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 78 parents, having children with cancer. The FCEM was implemented in the intervention group in four stages, namely perceived a threat, self-efficacy, educational participation, and evaluation during four sessions of 20-40 minutes. The control group only received the usual care. The burden of care of the control and intervention groups were measured one month after filling out the initial questionnaire, and one month after the end of the intervention, respectively. RESULTS: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic variables and level of burden of care. However, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups, in terms of the level of burden (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the empowerment of parents of children with cancer has an impact on reducing their care burden, and using this empowerment model is recommended to the treatment team, especially nurses.